And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry. Who was before a blasphemer… but I obtained mercy. 1 Timothy 1:12-13
What a privilege it is to be a believer! They are comparatively few, and we by nature were no nearer than others: it was grace, free grace, that made the difference. What an honor to be a minister of the everlasting gospel! These upon comparison are perhaps fewer still. How wonderful that one of these few should be sought for among the wilds of Africa, reclaimed from the lowest state of impiety and misery, and brought to assure other sinners, from his own experience, that ‘there is, there is forgiveness with him, that he may be feared.’
We are called to an honorable service, but it is arduous. What wisdom does it require to keep the middle path in doctrines, avoiding the equally dangerous errors on the right hand and the left! What steadiness, to speak the truth boldly and faithfully in the midst of a gainsaying world! What humility, to stand against the tide of popularity! What meekness, to endure all things for the elect’s sake, that they may be saved! ‘Who is sufficient for these things?’ We are not in ourselves, but there is an all-sufficiency in Jesus. Our enemy watches us close; He challenges and desires to have us, that he may sift us as wheat; he knows he can easily shake us if we are left to ourselves; But we have a Shepherd, a Keeper, who never slumbers nor sleeps… When we are prone to wander, he calls us back; When we say, my feet slip, his mercy holds us up; When we are wounded, he heals; when we are ready to faint, he revives. The people of God are sure to meet with enemies, but especially the ministers: Satan bears them a double grudge: the world watches for their halting, and the Lord will suffer them to be afflicted, that they may be kept humble, that they may acquire a sympathy with the suffering of others, that they may be experimentally qualified to advise and help them, and to comfort them with the comforts with which they themselves have been comforted of God.
Cardiphonia: Letters to Rev. Mr. William Bull, 1:590 (taken from Jewels from John Newton, Banner of Truth, 2016)

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“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23-24, NKJV).
Often, when we think about work, we tell ourselves that if only we could find the right job, career path, or passion project, then life would be so much easier. And as a society we perpetuate the false truism that if we find the right line of work, or the perfect job, we’ll never work a day in our lives. But this isn’t true. Life requires hard work, and that’s not a bad thing.
Millennials and Gen Z adults, who are quickly becoming a significant portion of the workforce, have generational ideals that don’t always align with the reality and challenges of today’s workplace. In fact, Purdue University built an infographic detailing some of these different ideals. For example, Millenials and Gen Z adults prefer work that allows for flexible scheduling, a premium placed on work-life balance, a fun work environment, and the ability to have an immediate impact. In and of themselves these ideals aren’t wrong, nor should they be discarded; however, the reality is that these young adults will face a work environment very different from these ideals.
It is our responsibility as leaders, mentors, coaches, pastors, teachers, professionals, and parents to ensure our young adults entering the workforce have realistic expectations. Perpetuating the myth that if you find the right job, you’ll never work a day in your life will only plant seeds of doubt and discord in the minds of young adults. This will bear thoughts of an idealized, fictional world where every day of their professional lives must be easy or fun. Not only is this untrue, but it also perpetuates false expectations and could potentially lead to lifelong discontent. Instead, we need to teach our young adults that life requires work, hard work at that.
God’s original plan for work was evident in Eden, when He placed Adam as the sole caretaker of the garden (Genesis 2:8, 15). Adam’s work was a divine calling, a special responsibility that was his own. It’s important to note that this was not Adam’s own decision, rather God chose Adam’s vocation. Adam had to accept God’s will in his life. We would all do well to remember this fact, especially when faced with a job or task that we don’t particularly care for, and remember that the Lord alone assigns our life’s work.
In the New Testament we see Paul’s example of hard work. Despite being in the midst of establishing his ministry he worked as a tentmaker (Acts 18:3), perhaps to make ends meet, as we would say nowadays. Furthermore, Paul exhorts Christians to work and never be a burden on others in 2 Thessalonians 3:8. And earlier in the New Testament, in the book of Luke, Jesus preached that “the laborer is worthy of his wages,” further reinforcing the idea that work is valuable and deserves remuneration (Luke 10:7, NKJV).
We must continue to reinforce the premise that the Bible calls us to work hard. Laziness or slothfulness is to be decried as our enemy. This means that even if you love what you do, you must still work hard with every ounce of your being. Proverbs has multiple examples of what industriousness and laziness look like. Proverbs 12:27 teaches us that diligence is valuable possession, i.e. we must be diligent and hard working with all of our tasks, regardless of our opinion of the work. Proverbs 15:18 teaches us that the work of a lazy man is like a hedge of thorns, something that pricks and cuts at our flesh, an uncomfortable image; however, the diligent worker is like a highway, a smooth, easily accessible and traversable path.
Ben Witherington III, a biblical scholar on work, summed up the impetus of the examples from Proverbs above in this way: “the Bible’s critique of laziness and slothfulness is that it does not merely assume that hard work is the norm. It assumes hard work is a good thing, a way to provide for one’s family and one’s future.”
It’s also important to remind ourselves, as Christians, that sometimes our life’s work may result in difficult times, lean years, or outright persecution. This is what Christ preached in Matthew 5:10, that we would face persecution. This occurs at work because our identity as Christians is inextricable from our work lives. As Christians we don’t turn on and off our work lives and separate them from our faith; instead, our faith drives our actions at work (Colossians 3:23-24).
We don’t turn on and off our work lives and separate them from our faith; instead, our faith drives our actions at work.
But this thought of persecution, of difficult times, can bind us together as believers in Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-13). We face the challenges of this world together as a community.
We would do well to remind ourselves and our young adults that this is a truth we will all face: challenges in the workplace. This countermands the thought that you’ll never work a day in your life if you find the right job. Regardless of work or job we are fighting against the world and its perceptions of right and wrong. However, as believers we have the hope that comes through our faith in Christ. This faith leads to the ability to face our trials and tribulations with the knowledge that it will build perseverance, character, and hope (Romans 5:1-5).
This lesson teaches us that life will bring many struggles that we must overcome, but through it we will grow and learn as Christians. This creates a character of hope and peace that cannot be destroyed by the world. What a wonderful and practical lesson for us to cling to—that our faith will bring peace in the midst of tribulation. This is what we must remember in the workplace as we struggle with long hours, bad leadership, toxic environments, etc.
Ultimately, we must teach and reinforce a biblical understanding of work and avoid the world’s glossy version of what life should be. As Christians we understand that life may be difficult, but we conversely live with the peace and hope that is unmatched by anyone outside of our faith. Through this we find joy in work and what we accomplish throughout our lives, knowing that we must work hard, diligently, and to the Lord. Only then will we have true peace in our vocation.

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In John 7: 37-39, Jesus claimed that through coming to him one would receive the “living water” synonymous with the presence of the Holy Spirit.  By the work of Jesus, the Spirit will come in fullness and power to mark out the people of God by evidence of true belief. In John 4, Jesus had said that this water would “become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” This is a fulfillment of Isaiah. 44:1-5 and we find the image reiterated in Revelation 22:17. This ever-flowing stream of living water brings both the present reality and the sure future inheritance of eternal life. 

Has any ever received eternal life without this living water? Here in John 7 Jesus speaks of the Spirit’s coming in the fulfillment of the New Covenant, creating a people as a community, not by circumcision but by the new birth, creating a fellowship whose common trait is forgiveness of sins and the sanctifying operations of the Spirit. Israel was not that community, for they were marked off by ceremonies, particularly the ceremony of circumcision of males, not by the moral and spiritual perceptions peculiarly the mark of those called and sanctified by the Spirit. 

The Spirit had not yet been given in that way, as the creator of the community, but he had been given to individuals among the remnant of Israel and even to those elect among other peoples. All of those that had the persevering faith leading to eternal life could not have been void of the Spirit of God. Both faith and faithfulness are the fruit of the Spirit’s operations; both of these necessarily existed in those people of faith in Hebrews 11. The affections described there could not have existed without the operation of the Spirit of God. Noah’s “reverent fear” was a manifestation of the presence of the Spirit in his life; Abraham’s “looking forward to the city that has foundations” was evidence of the abiding presence of the Spirit; Moses’ “choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin” and his consideration of “the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt” show the secret but continual presence of the Spirit’s gracious work. 

None of these affections or loyalties is possible to exist on the one hand or to be maintained on the other apart from their being the constant production of the Holy Spirit. If these in the roll call of faith did not have the Spirit, they would have no principle in them that opposed the desires of the flesh, would be given over to those desires as are the reprobate, and would thus “not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:17-21). Paul wrote, “Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him” (Romans 8:9.) This does not refer to a superfluity of blessing, or the possession of a gift irrelevant to eternal life; it instead establishes a condition of moral necessity true of any believer in any age. If Abel did not have the Spirit of Christ, did he belong to him? If Joseph did not have the Spirit of Christ, he did not belong to him? If those “wandering about in deserts and mountains and in dens and caves of the earth” did not have the Spirit of Christ, even they did not belong to him. But they did belong to him, and that belonging was effected by the abiding presence of the Spirit. 

Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “The natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). Is one that has no indwelling of the Spirit a spiritual man? If not, then he considers the things of the Spirit of God as folly. Did Moses consider the Exodus folly or the Passover folly? These were spiritual things, and Moses saw their significance as types of the redemptive work of Christ, the “reproach of Christ.” After Jesus had said, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life,” Peter said, “We have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:65, 69). Did he believe this and confess this without an initiating and continuing effectual work of the Holy Spirit? Regeneration and indwelling are operations of the Spirit morally necessary for faith and perseverance in that faith. 

Covenantally and morally, therefore, never has there been nor will there ever be a believer who has not been loved and elected by the Father, unredeemed particularly by and with no perceptive knowledge of the Promised One, and not regenerated, led to receive the Promise, and indwelt by the Spirit of God. Every believer, of all ages, may pray with David expecting that this grace is sealed, “Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. …And uphold me by your generous Spirit” (Psalm 51:11, 12). They also may rejoice that their faith is the same as that of Abraham and is given certainty in the same way: “Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? … That the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. … God gave it to Abraham by a promise. … Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. … If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 3:3, 14, 18; 5:16, 25). If Abraham lived by the Spirit (Has there ever been a believer who found spiritual life another way?), then also he walked in the Spirit.

Since the Spirit of God is the Spirit of truth, his operations in sanctification in the new covenant are more powerful and thorough than before the coming of Christ, for the shadows and types now are fulfilled and made clear by His appearing. The explanation of the person and work of Christ by the inspiration of the Spirit may now have full effect in securing for Christ a people of his own possession zealous of good works (Titus 2:11-14). As distinct from that remnant of true believers in Israel, these believers have the example of Christ, the teaching of Christ, the dying grace of Christ, the fullness of the revelation in Scripture, the community of saints to exhort, reprove, and encourage, and the variety of gifts granted to the church by the Spirit in Christ’s ascension (Ephesians 4:1-7). After Christ’s ascension this gift of the Spirit marked the new community and people that believed in him with corporate holiness, personal holiness, and gifts for teaching and order (1 Corinthians 12:3-13).  It is this context that we understand the inspired observation of the writer of Hebrews, “And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise [they did by the Spirit receive the promise in its truthfulness but did not the One who was the full substance, even the incarnate Promise], God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us” (Hebrews 11:39, 40).

We thank God for regenerating grace and persevering grace given believers in all ages by the Spirit; we thank him for the special gifts given when Christ was glorified putting us into a fellowship of  believers and granting each member of that believing body a gift of the Spirit so that we will “grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly” (Ephesians 4:15, 16).